Interview with Narida Law
by Nicola Simpson

Part Three

What is your process of creating "muscular" prose? Are you, as Plausible Deniability would call it, a "putter-inner" or a "taker-outer"?

That's a great article; everyone should read it. To answer your question, I think I'm a hybrid of those two things, which means I'll never be accepted by either camp. I'm not fond enough of metaphor and description to be considered a "putter-inner," and I'm definitely not succinct enough to be a "taker-outer." I think I'm a taker-outer with irreversible putter-inner tendencies. :-)

Again, there's no true process that I go through, but I think that everyone, if they tried, could make their prose tighter. Sometimes, that's not necessary. When it is, like in the case of "Absence," you just have to be more conscious about the words you put down. You should ask yourself questions like, "Is this really necessary? Can you find a more encompassing word that expresses both [this] =and= [this]? Is this the best word for the emotion/situation you're describing?" And on and on. Hence the tedium and exhaustion. <g>

I read a review of this story recently that I didn't agree with. It talked about Mulder and Scully's "loss of hope." That wasn't what the story was about at all, and I hope that most people understood that it was =about= hope. The last hope they had left. Despite everything, they had each other, and Mulder and Scully made things happen on their own terms, took their lives back into their own hands.

This story is also the one in which I had to change my favorite part. M. Night Shyamalan had to cut his favorite part of "The Sixth Sense," and it was really his interview that I was thinking of when confronted with the fact that one of my betas wanted me to change the ending I originally had, and was able to listen to her and do it. At the time, of course, it was a difficult decision to make -- anyone who's written something they particularly liked and then had to change/cut it should know -- but in retrospect, I'm glad Trixie made me do it. There's nothing more valuable than a beta who will toss your ego under a moving truck and be honest with you. :-)

Beta is a critical must-have. I can't tell you how many times I've been nervous about something I'd written or have been just plain lazy and wanted to skip beta (almost every time <g>). Hearing "this sucks" from people you know is alternately the best and most mortifying experience ever. But every time, the part of me that knows better will get someone to look at the story. Then, once it's out that you have a story that's being beta read by so-and-so, other people demand to know why they haven't been asked for their beta services, and eventually the story just gets passed around to anyone who cares to critique it. :-)

I have never, ever regretted submitting something for beta. Without fail, my beta readers have made every story I've written, better. They can't perform miracles, of course; they can only work with the story they've got, but as the person who has to put my name on my stories, I bless each and every one of them.

What each of my betas bring is different. For the most part, I can tell you what I look forward to when I get beta back from one of them. I can always depend on Lysandra to do the hard-core "you think you know grammar and punctuation? think again" beta. She'll call you on =everything=, which is why her beta is both the one I look forward to and dread the most. <g> She is also the proud owner of what we affectionately call the Fuck Face Dictionary (FFD) [tm], which has final say in all spelling matters. <g> In this dictionary (which is a regular dictionary) can be found various forms of the word "fuck" listed and defined. This is how I learned that "fuckup" when used as a noun is actually one word; i.e., "Mulder, you are SUCH a fuckup." When used as a verb, it is two words; i.e. "Mulder, please, for the love of GOD, don't fuck up."

Brandon, I look to for comments on plot, continuity, canon detail, and at times, character motivation. We don't agree all the time (how tedious would that be?), but he's a great source to bounce ideas off of, so that I can either disagree with him and thereby solidify my original thoughts, or use his advice to smooth out the rough edges of an idea.

Diana is great at calling me on characterization and descriptive detail. She lets me know what works -- which is equally important as telling me what bites -- and what she has concerns with.

Trixie has the honor of being my all-purpose beta. <g> She does some of all of the above (all my betas do, to a certain extent). She's the one I normally ask when I have specific concerns about my latest effort. We have similar thoughts about the characters and fanfic and what not, so if something doesn't work for her, then I know it must really not work. <g> I think it's great to have a "last say" beta, because if two of my betas have differing convictions, I'm too close to the story to have an objective opinion, so I can put the question to someone else. In the end, it has to be my call, of course, but it's always beneficial to know what she thinks.

The betas I've called out here are the ones who have beta'ed for me on what I would consider a "regular basis," but other wonderful people have also honored me by beta reading my work. I'll spare you; I won't name them all here. <g> If anyone is really that interested, I'm quite conscientious about crediting them all in my author's notes. ;-) They're all fabulous, talented people, and I owe them big time.

Super important. Well ... not as important as writing a good story, of course, but I think a good title helps get your story read, especially by those who don't have time to devour every fic that comes into their mailboxes. Often, a title will convey a general idea of plot as well as classification -- whether it's humor, angst, romance, or intrigue ... maybe all. Other times, titles are mysterious and oblique, leaving the reader to figure out for him or herself why the author chose to title the story such. And still other times, the titles have nothing whatsoever to do with the story.

I'm a fan of the oblique -- but only when it actually fits the story. That's why I'm not a big fan of titles in Latin. I think of myself as a pretty straightforward person, and MOST of the time, there just doesn't seem to be a point to having a Latin title, other than to show, what, that you're educated? Good for you. That your story is so profound that English isn't good enough for it? Grrr. It's a lot harder to come up with a good title in English, imho, for the same reason that I think it's harder to write MSR than any other genre -- for the pure and simple fact that it is most common, and to stand out, you really need something fabulous.

But just because I like titles that are oblique doesn't mean that I'm any good at it -- FAR from it. While for the most part I've been satisfied with my story titles, none of them are ones I would call out as an example of the kind of title I think is really great. But now you're going to make me think of a few, aren't you? I'll preempt you. Let's see... Rachel Anton is great with titles, namely "The Eleventh Hour." The title utterly fits the story, but you don't know how until you've read it. "The Dreaming Sea" by Revely is also fab, as is "Jasper's Last Thought" by MD1016. Those aren't the only examples, of course, but just off the top of my head. :-)

A good story will usually get read, no matter what it's called. To a certain extent, I think it helps if it's uniquely titled, so that people can better remember it and so that it'll jump out at them when they come across it somewhere, but word of mouth is probably the best way of getting something read. But most fic, I would say, falls into that area between "sensational" and "awful," and that's when it behooves a story to have a catchy title, to get someone to click on a link and try it out. This is hardly scientific; I'm just going by what gets me to read something.

But titles, in the end, are only a way of getting someone to click on a link (if no other information is provided) -- I don't think a story is ever liked or disliked based on title alone. Sometimes, with those oblique titles I admire, it can enhance the reading experience, because I get to go back during or after the read, and give mental props to the writer. When a story comes out by a writer I consistently enjoy, however, titles mean exactly squat. <g>

As for how I come up with my own story titles, I wish I could tell you something really groovy and interesting. Unfortunately, so far, they've come about in the following ways: 1) just pops into my head; 2) I come up with possibilities -- sometimes a whole list, then whittle it down to something I think fits; 3) I get a beta reader to throw ideas at me. More than once, I've used a title suggested by someone else. I've also ignored suggestions and gone with my own instincts. But once something is titled, it's extremely difficult for me to go back. Luckily, I almost always title my stories after they're finished, so I don't have very much time to get attached to them before they're posted ... and once they're posted, changing the title isn't a consideration.

I only have my own experiences to draw from, and they are by no means exhaustive. There's really nothing that can be done about getting people to enjoy stories -- that alone is dependent on the story's merit. But there are ways to get a story =read=, thereby increasing the chances that it will be liked by more people.

"Marketing" yourself in the fanfic world is different from how we normally think of PR. It's not blatant; it's not focused on your stories. It's not even "marketing," per se, because there is no bigger turn off than someone trying to promote his/her work the way consumer products are typically promoted. Instead, things like a good story title or becoming involved in the fanfic community are the best ways to get people familiar with you.

And why is familiarity important? Well, people are a lot more willing to read something by a writer whose name they recognize (and can then make educated guesses about writing style/content) than one they do not. Give someone feedback. Beta read for someone. Participate in discussions. Answer the feedback you receive. Write author's notes. Things like that make impressions on people, and it's up to you what kind of impression you make. And even if it's not your primary intention, those things will let people "get to know you" a little better.

I previously shared that I didn't post my first story -- a friend did it for me. I had no idea how to go about such a thing (I wasn't even on a mailing list; I'd done my reading by surfing through archives, recommendation pages, personal Web sites, and recs from friends), and didn't think it was a big deal if I just had someone else post any stories I might have. In retrospect, I think the fact that my story was posted by an established, well-respected writer really helped get my story read. Even though he clearly stated that he wasn't the author, when the story arrived in people's mailboxes, it was Brandon's name listed as the sender -- which got people to click on it who otherwise wouldn't have, I'm sure, being that it would have been from an unknown writer. Also, the fact that he posted it for me bespoke of the fact that he "approved" of the story in some way (true or not, that is the impression such actions give), and again, a "thumbs up" from an established, respected writer goes a long way in getting someone else to try your work. So this was an inadvertent marketing strategy on my part. <g>

However, a few people hadn't heeded Brandon's note at the top of the story stating that he wasn't the author, and sent him feedback, which, of course, he passed to me. Then, there was the nice XAPEN (now Phoenix) Friday Feedback messages that he had to pass along, since I wasn't on that or any other mailing list at the time. Considering these things, I bit the bullet and learned how to post a story. As anyone who has ever posted a story knows, this is an easy and simple process, so my reticence was unjustified. :-)

In a "marketing" way, this is one of the easiest things you can do. Posting your own stories gets your name out there, and people can associate your stories with your name.

Other things to keep in mind:

1) Create a Web site where you archive your stories and keep it up to date. It's your "face" to the world, and it's a good idea to provide a place where people can always find your work. Of course there are other archives out there, but you don't have any control over when they're updated. It's just a good idea -- how can anyone like your writing if they can't find it anywhere to read? :-)

2) Post to a relevant mailing list. It's the fastest and easiest way to get your story out to hundreds of pairs of eyes. Conveniently, there are several lists out there that will allow you to stop right there. Those lists will post your story to the newsgroup for you, and Ephemeral will automatically grab your story from the newsgroup, as long as you meet the simple criteria.

3) Format your stories properly. Oftentimes, people -- myself included -- will skip right over stories that have poor formatting, examples including weird symbols and run-on paragraphs. Honestly, when I see a story is one long paragraph, I give up then and there. It says a lot about the writer's personality -- thus writing style and maturity -- if s/he demonstrates, among other things, knowledge, conscientiousness, willingness to put an effort into making a story easier for someone to read, and recognition that it's the writer's duty to make his/her stories as reader-friendly as possible -- if s/he expects to get feedback/recognition. Places like Gossamer offer help on formatting. If you just don't know what a paragraph is, then technical formatting is the least of your problems. ;-)

4) Along the same lines as formatting: get your stories beta-read. At LEAST use spell check. It's painful to read a story while tripping over spelling and grammatical mistakes at every turn. Your audience consists not only of discerning readers, but also of writers, who hold =themselves= to certain standards and are much more likely to move on when a story cannot meet even minimum basics such as proper spelling and grammar usage (and I'm not talking about minor typos here and there that even the most anal of writers cannot avoid sometimes). There is A LOT of fic out there; you have to give people a reason to read yours. You have to treat your story with the same amount of effort/patience/respect that you expect people to put into it.

5) It's good to be proud of a story of yours. If you've received an award or an honor, don't be afraid to share that in an enthusiastic but humble way. But -- bragging is bad news. Don't create fake handles to praise yourself. Don't rec yourself at Ephemeral. Not only are these things rather tacky, obvious, and irritating to those who can see through such tactics (alienating possible readers), but I can't imagine that it can be at all rewarding.

That's all I can think of can be done to market oneself. After that, if a story garners attention, then it does; if it doesn't, then it doesn't. Write another one. Repeat process. <g>

As with everything, I think there are both good things and bad things about the way I choose to participate in the community. When I first started out, I understood vaguely what the newsgroup was for -- posting stories and discussion about the show, the characters, or anything else that took someone's fancy. I believe that when it began, the newsgroup was the sole venue for communication (other than email) amongst members of the community and the posting of stories, and that it created a close-knit bond to those who posted there.

I think it's such a great thing that people have this medium to interact with one another, to meet other people and have stimulating conversations about what interests them. No doubt that had I no other recourse, I would have been an eager participant, and "learned" to function in the community in that way as well. But peoples' experiences and needs are different; it was a LONG time before I was exposed to the newsgroup (or even completely understood what it was), and when I did, I was already comfortable where I was.

By the time I came on to the scene, mailing lists and archives abounded and it was no longer necessary to go to the newsgroup for the purposes of either reading or posting stories. And since that was really my primary interest, I've never felt a particular necessity to frequent the newsgroup. The friends I have met through email and AIM fill my life quite satisfactorily, and I don't lack for companionship or people to debate with. If friends come across responses to my stories, or general comments directed to me from the newsgroup, they forward it on. When there is something of particular interest, either a discussion topic or a comment, they may mention, "Hey, this is the latest hot topic at the newsgroup," and we may discuss it amongst ourselves. I've found that this is more than enough to keep me occupied. :-)

I've never felt the urge to air my views in public, though I'm not hesitant to give my opinions when directly asked (like in feedback and in interviews of this sort). There's certainly no good or bad way to participate in the community; it's all about what you're looking to get out of it and fulfilling that need by whatever means are available.

On the one hand, as I mentioned before, being vocal in the newsgroup a good way to get your name out there. Your views define who you are, and expressing them is every person's right. People may applaud your rational thinking, your persuasive approach. You can develop friendships with people whose interests and beliefs are similar to yours, and you may be recognized for some of those interests and beliefs.

The flip side is that recognition may also work against you, if you care about such things. Again, this is a matter of what you're looking to get out of the community. Some people like to be actively involved in all areas of the community, have a well-rounded experience. You are who you are, and people have to accept you for everything, warts and all. Fanfic and discussion is all intermingled -- it's simply who you ARE. I can definitely admire that.

Still, that doesn't mean that any other approach is better or worse. I personally like the idea of having my stories judged on their own merit, not on ME. That's it and that's all. If someone hates a story of mine, I want it to be because the story didn't take his/her fancy or because it was poorly written or whatever reason that has to do with the story itself. But not liking the story because they didn't agree with something I said on the newsgroup seems like ... a waste.

There's also something to be said for allowing a reader to interpret a story in his/her own way. When a reader knows what you're all about, when s/he knows exactly what your takes on the characters are, what your approach to the MSR is, etc., you lose some of your artistic mystique. As any writer knows, we will sometimes write things that we don't necessarily believe are true. We will take the characters to different places because we CAN, because we're stretching those artistic muscles, because we're interested to see where it will take us. As I've said, that's very different from strict canon. So while in strict canon I may believe in one thing, I may make allowances in fanfic. The problem is that people naturally associate what they know about a writer to the writer's stories, so that it becomes more difficult to leave things ambiguous or to keep there from being meaning and answers where there are none.

As I said, this is a personal choice. By not actively participating in the newsgroup, perhaps I'm perceived as an outsider looking in, but I don't feel that way. I couldn't ask for a better experience. I may miss out on some scintillating discussions, but on the other hand, I also am able to avoid a lot of the politics and bad blood that I hear goes on from time to time. I dealt enough with red tape and political tug-of-wars during my stint on the Hill; I certainly don't need it in a hobby. <g>

Wow, it's really over?? <sniff> I know there must be a million and one things we could still talk about, but we'll spare everyone. I would like to end it by thanking everyone who has ever spent part of their day reading a story of mine. There's no greater compliment.

:-) But of course, feedback keeps me posting. <g>

Thanks, Narida, for being our first "three-parter"! You might call it "verbal diarrhea," but here at Working Stiffs, we call it enthusiasm. Now stop babbling and get writing, damn it!

You can read Narida's work here or e-mail her!